


1940

by Aphilligin



Series: 1933 [2]
Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Female Relationships, Lesbian Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-08 10:03:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21474202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aphilligin/pseuds/Aphilligin
Summary: "There is an ocean of silence between us… and I am drowning in it.”-Ranata SuzukiSequel to 1933. Bella is broken, stubborn and drowning. Rosalie is proud and miserable. Can the past be unwritten? Is the future set in stone? It has been said that love conquers all, but Virgil was a sap.
Relationships: Carlisle Cullen/Esme Cullen, Rosalie Hale/Bella Swan, Rosalie Hale/Royce King
Series: 1933 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1486592
Comments: 33
Kudos: 131





	1. Yesterday

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovely people! Hopefully by this point you have read 1933, a fan fiction I have completed on this site as the first book in this series. It follows a human Rosalie and a vampire Bella. The two meet and events transpire. If not, stop and read that first. Go on, go find it. I’ll wait…
> 
> Okay, now I did not plan on uploaded the first chapter as I am still revising this and adding things to tie up loose ends. However, I don’t think I will have anything else to update in this chapter. My postings might be slow as I want to make sure I am happy with this story, even though it is written completely already. Just a reminder, the chapter titles are songs.
> 
> Please leave me some love in the comments! I do like hearing from you. Alright, enough dallying! Here we go…

_ The sun beat down warmly on her skin, her body rested on a large blue towel lazily. The sound of the river gushing and trickling, along with the trees, created a peaceful soundtrack. A light breeze caressed the sun kissed skin of the golden blonde as she lounged upon her favorite rock. The place was somewhere between an escape and a haven for her. Fresh flower scented the air, mixed with the subtle smell of rain and rock. _

_Below her the river flowed and pushed itself onto the thin strip of sand that parted the flat rocks and the water. She looked to her right and saw only the trees and water. It was familiar and comforting. She looked to her left and saw a figure out of the corner of her eye._

_She gazed at warm brown hair draped across the freckled shoulders of the girl who sat up beside her. She studied the streaks of gold that only shown in the light, the deep chestnut waves wild and free. Deep in her thought the brunette turned to smile at her, realizing that she was being surveyed. Her white teeth, so dangerous, so destructive, were glistening with joy. A long dimple on her right cheek made its appearance, as it did only when she smiled genuinely. _

_“Can I help you?” Bella laughed musically. The blonde threw her hand over her eyes to shield her vision from the light. The skin of her companion reflected the light like fine diamonds._

_“Just lost in thought, you are here. This is perfect.” _

_The brunette seemed to become more serious. She lay back once more and shifted to face the blonde, her hand propping up her face. Honey brown eyes studied violet as she waited for the blonde to continue. The human seemed to notice, she shifted slightly under her scrutiny._

_“I can’t believe you are here, with me.”_

_“Why wouldn’t I be?”_

_“I don’t…I don’t know. I can’t remember, it feels strange. To not remember.”_

_“That’s ok. Just relax and enjoy your time with me. You like this place, yeah?”_

_“Well, when we are here, I feel myself. I just wish I could stay here forever. Nothing else seems to matter. I know we have school soon, and we are set to move away from here soon.” She became more and more nervous with each word._

_“Yes, it will be a new adventure. It may not be as peaceful as this, but I think it will be a lovely venture all the same.” The brunette studied the blonde’s expression. She seemed upset in some way. For all her studying, Bella could not figure out what could be troubling her. Was it the change or the move? “What trouble’s you?”_

_Rosalie sat up feeling uneasy. She looked away; her fist propped her head up while watching the current carry a stick downstream. Her guilt was crushing her, she knew what she was supposed to say. The blonde scrunched her brows and bit her lip in pain. She needed to tell Bella that she was to wed Royce. She knew she had to tell her the plans she made to appease her family, even if it might taint their sacred place by the stream._

_“I haven’t been honest with you.” She looked back with a small semblance of courage to face Bella. “My family demands a lot of me. Hale’s have a reputation to uphold, and my father’s career… Well my family needs something of me.”_

_“What is it?” Bella sat up and put her arms around Rosalie’s shoulder with concern._

_“I am to wed Royce King. My family wishes it.” With the news Bella’s arm fell from around her._

_“When?” She asked quietly. Her question was a whisper, almost lost before leaving her lips._

_“The date is not set yet, but soon. I am told I can go to school here.” The blonde said solemnly, a tear forming in the corner of her eye._

_“What about us?” Each of her words made Rosalie feel pain. The blonde winced._

_“I do not want him. I didn’t want to tell you; I couldn’t bear to see the look on your face.” She said as she watched the vampire, tears freely falling from her face. _

_“I don’t know what to say.”_

_“I want to be with you. I have thought long and hard about it. I don’t think I can do it; I don’t think I can marry him and leave you. When I’m with him I feel lost and ashamed. I only think of you.” She reached out and intertwined her fingers into Bella’s._

_“Your family, I don’t know what this will mean.”_

_“It doesn’t matter.” The blonde wiped away tears and smiled. The vampire thought long and hard, her features slowly softened._

_“You know what I have to do now? I have to punish you for keeping that from me.” Bella smiled facetiously. She stood up quickly, Rosalie looked at her incredulously. “I have to throw you in the river, of course.” _

_“No no no!” The blonde screamed out as the vampire grabbed her quickly and threw her over her shoulder. She tossed the laughing and kicking blonde into the water. She stood proud with her hands on her hips as the blonde surfaced, spitting water and wiping her face._

_“You ass! Come down here and face me you wimp!” She shouted up to a proud Bella._

_“Me? I’m the ass?” She feigned shock._

_“I don’t see any others here.” Rosalie spat back adamantly._

_With that the vampire jumped in the river, with little grace for a vampire. She didn’t surface, but rather left an eerie silence for a long minute. The blonde knew her antics, knowing she was about to be preyed upon she looked around her in the water, the dark blue left little visibility, however. _

_Behind her she felt hands at her side, she jumped and spun around to face her predator. The brunette was smiling at her playfully with hands resting on the blonde’s hips. Rosalie trapped her with hands around the back of her neck, pulling her close. The air grew thick around them, and the tension between their lips drew them closer._

_The blonde could feel soft lips brush teasingly across her own. She felt her smile grow as she moved to collapse them onto the Brunette’s._

Braynkkkk! Braynkkkk! Braynkkkk! Braynkkkk!

A hand slid its way out from a bundled blanket to slap the top of a very obnoxious alarm clock clattering its way across the nightstand. The delicate hand fell, dangling off the bed freely as if the body attached was no longer among the living. After a moment of silence, the body stirred, and a very groggy woman with wild blonde hair fixed into loose curlers flipped to her back. She sighed and stared at the ceiling, as she did every morning. She noticed the crack in the crown molding as she did every day and thought to herself for the thousandth time ‘I have to get that fixed.’ She quietly worked up the strength to get out of her warm cocoon and start her day.

The warmth of the sun on the rocks and the light breeze faded from her with every waking moment. She wished desperately to return to her dream, but she couldn’t, even if she did go back to sleep. She knew she had to start her day. With one more labored sigh she slid out from under her thick blanket and placed two bare feet on the cold wood floor.

In bed she left Royce sleeping, he stirred, spread out his arms into her spot and began to snore with his mouth agape. His hair was stuck up messily at the sides. The blonde tip toed out of the room as to not disturb him. She crossed the house to her own bathroom in her cream silk robe. The end of the robe flowed out from behind her creating the illusion that she floated across the halls.

The King’s were a wealthy family. Royce was set to inherit a generous amount of money from his father, even without such an inheritance their wealth showed in the home. Six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a grand kitchen, a parlor and living room, all decorated tastefully. The bathroom off their own bedroom was Royce’s. Rosalie would cross the house each morning to get herself ready within her own space.

The halls were wide, and the staircase was extensive and dramatic. The floor of the entry was marble, much like the rest of the house it was cold but beautiful. Dark wood molding lined the walls, along pictures of works of art and the rare family photo. A white silk robe sashayed through and into a large bathroom with marble floors and tiled walls. Most everything in the room was white, aside from the large dark mirror frame and cosmetics on the counter.

She turned on the faucet, the cool water warming as it drained. She placed her hands on the counter as if to steady herself, her shoulders were hunched over and her head down. She stared at the sink in front of her, watching the water run. Letting out a heavy sigh, she lifted her head to evaluate herself in the mirror.

She was blessed with abnormally beautiful features. Her soft, high cheeks complimented her structured jaw and plump red lips. Her oval face held two striking violet blue eyes under manicured eyebrows. Age had been kind to her, but she was still youthful at a mere twenty-five. She pursed her lips at her own reflection.

Her reflection was a stranger of her former self. Once full of life, her face wore her stress and pain now. Bags formed under her eyes. Her mouth seemed to be in a slight downward curve in its resting state. She furrowed her brow, something that she seemed to do more in the past few years. The changes in her face had slowly occurred, but it seemed as though she truly noticed them for the first time. She was beyond beautiful, but without life.

She washed her face, brushed her teeth, and applied a generous amount of make up to hide her bags. Red lip stick, mascara and blush were spread to perfection. Her hair was taken from its curlers and pinned up in various places to remain current with the style. She misted her head with hair spray and inspected her work, nodding with satisfaction at her image.

Her closet was off her own bathroom, a rather large room with carefully categorized clothing. Her shoes lined a shelf made especially for them. She picked out a red dress with white flowers that fell two inches below the knee. The V shaped neck left room for modesty, with just a tease of what could be hidden underneath. She paired the dress with red heels and grabbed a fresh apron as she made her way downstairs.

With her husband still sleeping she put on a pot of hot water to make coffee. Like clockwork she could expect her husband down and ready for his coffee at seven-thirty sharp. She put bacon in a skillet and eggs in another. Fresh toast was placed on a sheet in the oven, and jam on the table. She danced around the kitchen, her movements were practiced and calculated. Her routine was a well-oiled machine, down to the timing of her excursion to the porch to catch the morning paper.

She could hear her husband bumping around upstairs, his groan familiar as he once again stumbled into the bathroom door frame. She paused her movements to take in his sounds. She turned again to flip his eggs.

He made his way into the room just as she had finished plating his breakfast and placed a few slices of fresh cut orange to its rim. He grumbled gruffly as he smoothed his greased hair and grabbed his briefcase. His eyes did not regard her, only nodding slightly in her direction as he grabbed a piece of his toast in his one hand and placed his hat on his head with the other.

The blonde stood regarding him with a smile as she watched him shove the toast in his mouth to grab his paper. As he passed her, he grunted a quick goodbye, not stopping to acknowledge her fully. He left quickly out the back door. She watched the door as if expecting him to rush back in, realizing she had made him a breakfast. When he didn’t, she let her eyes avert to the steaming meal growing cold upon the table. With yet another heavy sigh she went to the table and sat in the spot across from his, slid his plate over and nibbled on his orange slices.

At ten she had a fitness calisthenics class followed by a water aerobics class at the community center. After touching up her hair and makeup she was off to one of her few student’s homes. She gave private strings lessons. She of course, specialized in the Cello. Jane was her favorite student, only eleven but so naturally talented with the cello. She gave her an hour lesson twice a week. She usually had one lesson with a different student each afternoon during the week.

After her lesson she was off to the grocery to pick up a few items and food for dinner. She then made her way home to tidy the house and prepare dinner. If she were lucky and preparing an easy meal, she would fit in some reading time. She read crime novels, love stories, historical biographical works and fantasy. Her time was never idle, her mind was kept busy. She had dinner ready by six, the approximate time that her husband would arrive home from his day.

A roast with garlic and potatoes sat warm on the table, plates and silverware were laid out. She took up her position in her seat, her make up and hair perfect for Royce. She waited with her back straight, her posture unrelenting. The minutes went by, and the food grew colder. She picked at her fork nervously, waiting until she was sure she would need to reheat the food.

She placed the food back in the oven, staring at the oven door as though it might speed up its process. Her back door opened with a screech of the screen door, she really needed to get oil for that. She took in the sloppy man that was her husband. His hair was dangling to the sides of his head, looking so greasy it appeared wet. His shirt was unbuttoned a couple of notches and untucked in one corner. He carried his jacket over his arm and his briefcase in the other. His hat sat sloppily to the side of his head.

He stopped once he was in and straightened his back. He was silent as he took in the room around him, the lack of food on the table, and his wife staring at him. He scoffed and walked to sit down harshly at his spot at the table.

“I even give you extra time, and you don’t have it ready.” He said without looking to her.

“Had you been here an hour ago it would have been.” She said in a low voice.

“What was that?” He looked over his shoulder to her.

“I just wish you would give me a ring if you are going to be…held up.”

“Excuse me for working to give you all of this.” He gestured to the room with his arms.

“I could plan better if I knew.” She said calmly.

“A man needs his time. Its his damn right after a long day to let off steam.” He spoke as if complaining to his friends. His right hand gestured out in front of him. “You wouldn’t understand.”

At those words Rosalie pulled out the roast from the oven and shoved it onto the table. Her demeanor had gone from thoughtful to angry. Royce jumped slightly at the action; his face grew severe. He jumped up from his seat so fast that the chair behind him fell backwards.

Fearfully, the blonde backed up a step, realizing what her moment of strife would cost her. Royce flung his arms at her, he missed. She backed up until she was only a step away from the wall, her face was showing her anxiety. Royce quickly followed her step for step. He reached out his hand and grabbed her chin and jaw tightly. His force shoved her head into the back wall. She winced in pain.

He bore into her with his eyes with his own blackened dead eyes that he got when he became angry. His brow furrowed heavily, and the once handsome man was gone. He was no longer himself; he was a monster. He pushed her head harder against the wall, seemingly curious of what could happen if he pressed further. The blonde raised her hands, grasping at his wrists, whining at her own pain.

He studied her for a moment, his mind working slowly. After a pause he released her, walking back to the table to grab his food. She doubled over slightly, tenderly touching her hurting jaw. He grabbed a slice of the roast with his hand, took a bite and walked past her to go to bed.

She took a few moments to gather herself. She stood up straight finally and brushed off her apron. Her hands were still shaky. With a sigh she sat back down at the table and served herself dinner. She ate slowly, her mind a million miles away from this unpredictable home.

~x~

Harvey’s Steakhouse was a local favorite. It was fancy enough to impress a girl, or in Royce’s case, entertain a boss. Pictures lined the dark wood walls. The tables had white clothes spread across them with a single candle lit on each one. The chairs were dark red velvet, matching the dark red carpet.

Royce was wearing his best suit; his hair was parted to the side but slicked back. He had shaved closely, leaving his signature thin mustache above his lips. He sat with Rosalie, his arm around the back of her chair, appearing casual. His was sipping on brandy as they waited for his boss to arrive.

Rosalie was dressed for the part as well, her hair done up and curled. She wore a modest dress that she favorited when going out for dinner. Her lips were ruby red and her lashes dramatic.

“Hey, I…um…I got you this. I’m sorry Rosie, for last night.” The greasy hair man passed her a small long box with a red bow. She took it knowing it was a gift, he always had a gift after. “You know, I just get so crazy from all the stress.”

She nodded in understanding, opening the box after unraveling the tied bow. It was a silver bracelet, expensive and delicate. She gave him a small smile, not genuine enough to reach her eyes. He kissed her on the cheek and turned his attention to the front of the restaurant.

A round man in his fifties approached their table, his wife trailing behind him. His shirt strained slightly under the pressure of his stomach. His hair was parted in the middle, a style that had been out of fashion for years now. He would have been handsome as a younger and thinner man. That must have been the way he was able to attract his beauty of a wife, Rosalie thought.

She was nearly just as old as him but had aged far better. Her salt and pepper hair done into curls and pinned fashionably around her head. Her face was tight, make up done well and eyes sparkling with a pleasant joy. Her body was slender and her dress new to the season.

“Hello my boy.” The round man said boisterously.

“Mr. Crouse.” Royce shook the man’s hand politely.

“Ah, and I see you are lovely as ever.” The man turned his attention to Rosalie, taking her hand and kissing it.

“You are too kind.” The blonde responded, she turned to face Mrs. Crouse “Good to see you Mrs. Crouse.”

“Good to see you my dear, please, for the hundredth time, call me Annie.” Rosalie nodded at that.

“Annie. I love your dress, Its new?” Rosalie questioned with charm.

“Indeed, it is, an eye for fashion I see.” The older woman said as she sat in the chair her husband had pulled out for her.

“Mr. Crouse, I am so pleased you were able to make it tonight. I brought the wife because to me, business is more than numbers or goals. Its about supporting those we love. Good to see you as well Mrs. Crouse.” Royce said with charm he only reserved for occasions such as this. He was a different person at work and in from of those he wished to impress. He seemed to be the man Rosalie had wished he would be. She felt sick listening to him. It was time to distract herself.

“So, Mrs. Crouse, are you planning to head to the Hampton’s this summer?” She said turning her attention to the man’s wife. Her husband carried on his own conversion with the man.

“It’s funny you should ask; we are thinking of selling our place in the city and moving there full time.”

“You have a place here as well, yes? How would Mr. Crouse continue his work if you do not reside in the city?”

“Well yes, we still have the old stone house here. I want to keep that one for when we visit the grandchildren. They are getting so big. Calvin is eight, and Theodore, well he is walking now. Can you believe that?”

“It’s hard to believe, last time we had dinner he was just sitting up on his own.”

“When are you going to start having your own? Better hurry up, three before thirty darling…”

“Ah, yes, well we are trying. All in good timing I suppose.” She said with fake optimism. She knew she would never realize her dream of children. Not with the man next to her at least.

“Well, I sense you will have a bit of extra income for the help of a nanny soon.” The woman said with a knowing smile and a nod to the men talking. Rosalie turned her ear upon their conversation.

“Well, my boy, that’s why I chose you. Your father is one of my best employees. I am excited to see what comes of you, if the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“He has spoken of retiring next year, I am hoping to be able to take over his position as the regional manager here in Rochester.” He said with a smile as he took a drink.

“You are thinking too small. What do you think of me and my position in New York?”

“Well, I admire you of course. You have done well out there in the city, you held it down out there during the depression in twenty-nine.”

“I did. It is time for me to rest though. I have decided to focus on my family, to retire and spend time with the wife and grandchildren. I need a solid man to fill my shoes as regional director for the state.” He said putting his arm around his wife, giving her shoulder a squeeze with a jolly smile.

“Sir, are you proposing me?”

“Well, I thought that was obvious.” The large man moved to put his elbows back on the table.

“I…I don’t know what to say…”

“If you would rather not have the responsibilities or want to stay in this small city…”

“No, no, no. I would love to sir.” He said with a big bright smile. He shook the older man’s hand vigorously. His hair fell into his face slightly from the exchange.

“I need you to start next month. I have to be in the Hampton’s at the start of May.” Mr. Crouse said as he put his arm around his wife’s shoulders and smiled to her. She gazed back at him with a warm smile.

Rosalie ached for a love like theirs. After all those years, after all the time he worked long hours and held stress, he was able to love her with warmth still. She felt empty in the pit of her stomach as she watched their exchange.

“Royce, did you want to discuss this first?” Rosalie said to him in a whisper.

“What is there to talk about? This will mean loads more money. You will get to live in the city like you wanted.” He spoke out of the corner of his mouth as his boss and his wife were distracted by the menu.

“I am to start a graduate program in the fall…”

“Rosie be serious. You can find another one of your little programs there. Besides, that has never been our priority.”

“I just think…”

“You will drop this.” He whispered back harshly. He turned to smile at his boss and continue their conversation.

It was late when they arrived home. Rosalie drove her husband due to the over celebration of his promotion. He insisted on driving but gave in when he vomited on the sidewalk. He was lucky that they had parked two blocks in the opposite direction of his boss. The scene would have called into question his professionalism.

She helped him walk into the house, his arm was draped over her shoulder. His hair was disheveled, and his weight rested on her more than she liked. Once inside the door she took his and his hat and untied his shoes.

“This... going to be so good for us. I don’t understand why you had to be such a bitch about it…” He said with minor slurring as she pulled his coat from his shoulders. He kicked off his shoes sloppily.

“I merely insisted that we talk about this, since I am your wife, and this is a big change for us.”

“Your job is to support me and take care of me, something you haven’t done in God knows how long…”

“It’s hard to support someone who treats you like their servant. Forgive me for not jumping your bones when you stumble in drunk half the nights.” She said with acid on her tongue.

She turned to put his coat on the rack at the door, when she turned back, she felt instant burning across her cheek. Her head thrusted backwards. The lights seemed to go out, then it sparkled like stars in her eyes. The sound of the smack hit her recognition as her sight regained focus. He always hit the hardest backhanded.

“You are an insulate bitch. The only thing you were good for was a good fuck, now you aren’t even good for that.” He said as he stumbled out of the kitchen. Just before the door he stopped and turned his head to speak once again. “We are going, that is final.”


	2. That's How You Know (1933 and 1934)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Follow Rosalie and Bella through 1933 and 1934.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, this is a little awkward…I um, well I have not exactly been around. Let’s just say a lot has changed in my life. I guess I’ll tell a little of it. About a year ago my fiancé and I split up, then COVID hit and I did end up losing my job. I moved (still around Seattle) and started school again at the ripe age that I am. I am working from home and doing the online schooling, so I feel guilty working on projects like this. I always feel like I should be doing something more productive. I might have also delved into a weird combination of depression, COVID depression and seasonal. It is all good though, I can’t promise that the next chapter will come out super quickly. I am still reviewing this second book and making sure I don’t want to add or change things. I did what I said I would never do and started a TikTok, cringe. Look me up if you want, it’s pretty gay.(same handle as here). I do read your comments and I appreciate your support. Please continue to give feedback, and maybe let me know how you have been. I hope 2020 was kind to you.  
-AP

###  [Chapter 2](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21474202/chapters/70774869): That's How You Know (1933 and 1934)

Church bells rang like music in the small town. The day was overcast, but warm and pleasant all the same. A crowd surrounded the outside of a white chapel as a young couple walked out. The crowd lined the sidewalk on both sides, throwing rice and cheering. The couple smiled, both seemed happy.

Bella watched from atop a neighboring roof. She sat upon its edge, dangling her legs from its side as she drank whisky from bottle in a paper bag. She gulped the last of it when she saw the bride smile. She seemed simply fine without her. She thought to herself so many thoughts in those moments. How was the blonde fine while her own world crumbled around her? Her chest was in pain constantly, her eyes burned as though tears could fall, but she could never get that sort of release. She wished she could be in his place. She wished that it were her that smiled next to the beautiful bride. She looked so damn happy with him. How could she have been so naïve to believe that those feelings of happiness and warmth were reserved for herself only?

When the couple climbed inside a little elegant Bentley, she decided she had nothing else to see. The bottle dropped carelessly from her grip to crash into pieces in the alley below. She stared at the shattered bottle for a minute as it lay far below her on the ground. She wished she could break so easily.

She left for France that night. She spent most of the next month’s held up in a hotel. She hardly left, only to hunt and drink. She experienced fits of despair, breaking bottles, and turning over the furniture in her hotel room. She hardly ever cared to clean up after herself. Her appearance became ragged, she hardly put any effort in. There was no reason to, there was really no reason to do anything.

The only interaction she had was with the occasional brave French man. The kind that did not understand the danger he put himself in. Like a mouse wandering into the pit of a snake. Each time she would politely decline his offer of romance, sometimes she would lose her patience and knock the men out with a simple jab. She could never bring herself to give in to the thirst with them though. At least she could be proud of something.

-1934-

A melody of blues and Jazz serenated the damp cobble stone streets of the French Quarter. An older black gentleman on the corner of St. Peter and Bourbon Street played a trumpet smoothly as folks passed by drinks in hand. The air was thick with smoke and booze. Nothing good ever happened in New Orleans after midnight.

Local women gathered on the corners, offering their services to gentleman in need of a special touch. Cops walked the streets but did not disband the women, they were partial to their services themselves. Just down the street one could find an alley that housed a joint familiar to the cold kind. The windows were darkened, the door solid wood. If one were to pass by, they would never assume it to be a place of debauchery such as it was.

Inside the walls were insulated thickly, not allowing the music within to carry out. A bouncer at the entry kept out the occasional drunk who tested their luck on the old red wooden door. A long bar lined the right wall, in the far-left corner was a small stage. A band played Jazz, the singer a sultry older woman of African descent. She wore a corset and swayed her hips slowly to the music she crooned. Tables filled in the space between, usually all filled with a certain type clientele.

Every so often the woman in the red corset would come off the stage and sit upon the laps of the guests, touching their hair and teasing their thighs. She received better tips that way, many of the men came to see her above tasting the spirits the place served.

Amongst the patrons at the bar sat a lonely brunette. Seven empty shot glasses crowded the bar space in front of her, some remnants of the alcohol pooled in small spots near the glasses. In her hand was an eighth shot, full of tequila infused leopards’ plasma. She took a swing and washed down the yellow liquid with ease.

“I’ll take another.” The brunette said to the bartender.

“Plasma or whole blood?” The bartender asked as he wiped a pint glass with a rag.

“Don’t try to pawn off the cheap stuff, give me the plasma dammit.” She said with attitude.

“As you wish…If you can’t pay…” He said with his finger pointed at her.

“I can pay.” She said with a scoff. She turned her head slightly to watch the woman dance and sing. Her attention was drawn away by the customers that had sat down to have their first drink to her right.

“I’m telling you gent, it’s about the tease. You can’t just sink your teeth into them. You’ve got to get their adrenaline really going. If you hurt them, they taste different. It’s a new height in flavor.” A black-haired man with a resemblance of Clark Gable spoke.

“I routinely break bones when I attack.” An older bald man spoke.

“No no, you have to get creative. Bring a dagger. Let them see it, let the fear of it sink in.”

“It’s hard to think clearly enough to plan that when I’m in the hunt.”

“I understand, but if you can just be patient, I am telling you…It is worth it. I like to slice them open a bit, let the blood trickle before I taste.”

“You are a visionary sir.” The man said to the other.

“Excuse me?” The girl interrupted their conversation.

“Mind your own business.” The bald man retorted over his shoulder at her.

“You are a stupid cowardly creature. Your friend here is a monster. How dare you ‘play with your food’? You were once like them.” She said taking her shot.

The bald man stood up from his stool and cracked his knuckles.

“What’s that again?”

“Are you as deaf as you are ugly?” The girl said without giving the man much notice. She still sat calmly in her spot, eyes forward casually. In a sudden motion he grabbed her blouse in a large handful at the shoulder and pulled her up from the stool.

“You best not get your noise dirty in affairs that don’t concern you.” He said gruffly.

The brunette gave the man a long appraising look, furrowing her brow as she thought. She scrunched up her face as if in disgust and spat into the man’s face. He pulled back a bit, taken off guard by the action. His free hand wound back with a clenched fist. Before he could release his wrath, the girl ducked and twisted the man’s arm in one fluid motion. In the next second the man was on his back.

Before she had time to think he was back on his feet, his more sophisticated friend was up off his own stool. She took a step forward, fist clenched, brows furrowed severely. She wasn’t one to back down from a fight. Lately, it seemed to be something she actively sought out.

“Hey!” The bartender shouted. “Pay your bill and get gone!” The man shouted at the brunette.

“I’m not finished drinking.”

“You are now. Get gone.” He said sternly. She gave the man a look and sat back down. She took her shot glass and set it towards the man, signaling another drink. The man observed her but didn’t fight with her further, he only nodded to a figure behind her.

Two large men grabbed her off the stool suddenly, one on each of her arms. The man on the right searched her jacket pockets, pulling out a twenty and throwing it on the counter. The girl struggled slightly, but the two men were larger than her.

“Keep the change boss. For the trouble, huh?” The bartender nodded to the gentleman carrying her.

The brunette sailed through the air onto the hard cobblestone street, landing on her side. Had she been sober, she would have landed more gracefully. Before she could look back, the two large men closed the red door.

She picked herself up, not bothering to dust herself off. She walked the streets, stumbling slightly as she made her way through the city. A man laid on the cold street, passed out with a bottle wrapped in brown paper in his hand. As she passed, she grabbed the bottle and through down a dollar. She took a large swig of the liquor, god she hated bourbon. Her face wrinkled in disgust, but she took another swig. It would do.

She made her way home to a small third floor apartment on the wrong side of town. Most of her neighbors were blue collar, most underpaid due to their race and the stigmas at the time. She passed her landlord as she approached the stairs of her building. He was taking out a large bag of trash, an odd thing to do at such an hour. He must have forgotten to take it out earlier she thought.

“Hey hey…” He said as he noticed her. He clearly had not counted on seeing anyone since he was in his white tank and boxers.

“Hello Mr. Bower. How do you do tonight?”

“Cut the sweet talk Bella. I need rent, you are a week late.”

“I…I just need to run by the bank in the morning. I forgot to pay, I have it though sir.” She said trying her best to impersonate a sober woman.

“Alright.” He said sternly. He broke eye contact with her, feeling uncomfortable. After a moment he turned his eyes back to her, his expression had softened.

“Ah, missy left you a warm pie earlier. Sorry to be gruff with you, I just can’t have folks taking advantage of me.”

“Not at all sir, I will have it in the morning. Please thank the Mrs. for me.”

“Sure will. Well, have a good night.” He said turning to walk out the front door of the entry.

“Night.”

As she made her way up to the third floor to her home, if you could call it that, she spotted her neighbor’s daughter, Lilly. The little girl often played in the hall alone. Her parents worked at all hours. Her mother was a nanny for a rich white family and her father worked down at the docks two shifts a day.

“What are you doing up so late?” Bella said sweetly to the girl with her doll. She could not have been more than ten.

“Jus playing.” She said as she combed the dolls hair.

“Hey, I found this out on the sidewalk on my way home. You wouldn’t happen to know of a good way to spend it, would you?” She said as she flashed the girl a quarter.

“Ice cream! Or candy!” She said taking it as Bella handed it to her. The girl inspected it, turning it in the light of the hall.

“Hmm, well those are way better ideas than mine. Why don’t I let you keep it then?”

“Are you sure?”

“Positively sure.” She said with a warm smile.

“Thank you miss Isabella.”

“Bella, Lilly. Bella.”

“My mom taught me better than that. Its Isabella, that’s proper.” Bella straightened up to stand at her full height listening to the girl. She propped her hand on her hip, adoring the little girl for her intelligence.

“Fair enough. Get inside and get to bed. Your momma would kill me if she knew I let you stay out here.” She said as she picked up a pie from in front of her door.

Bella closed the door behind her and flipped on the lights of her studio apartment. It was what most would call dingy. Water stains circled the ceiling in brown patterns, the floor was scratched from years of use, and the kitchen and appliances were worn and dirty. Her couch, which was also meant to be her bed, was old with one of the cushions missing its fabric. The couch was part of the deal, a furnished apartment in an area where no one asked questions.

Normally, she would spruce up the place. She would have gutted it and replaced all the fixtures with shiny new ones. She took no care here though. It’s not that she did not have the time or the money, she had more of those things than she knew what to do with. She didn’t have the motivation. Empty bottles littered the counter tops. Clothes were strung out over the furniture and floor. None of this mattered to her.

She hardly spent time in the apartment. Most of her time was spent out drinking. When she did come home, she would continue to drink or sit in silence. She would sit at her small worn table and stare at the wall. Sometimes she sat so long she felt she might begin to petrify.

-X-

Hopeful and optimistic, young Rosalie Lillian Hale King woke up for her day. Royce and herself had been married for a few months now and although it was not a fairytale, it was something. Every morning she would wake up and sneak out of bed to get ready. She would do her make up the best she could and pick out just the right outfit to catch her husbands’ eye. She had committed to the marriage and felt it was her duty to make the most of it.

Fresh fruit, bacon and eggs were the routine. She would have coffee ready for him with a slice of toast as well. Every morning he would come down at the same time. He would get the paper and read while they sat in silence eating. Sometimes he would comment on the world going to hell as he read articles, sometimes he would laugh at the funnies.

At the same time, each day he would take his brief case and hat and kiss her goodbye. She would then rush to get her books and things ready to head to school. Most of her day was spent in class, her late afternoons were spent at the grocery store and at home cooking. When her husband went to bed, she would pull out her books and do her assignments. She usually fell asleep sitting up at her desk. She always made it to be at some point in the night.

He was not always pleasant, and he didn’t always allow her to study at night. Some nights he ached for her touch. He was not an intimate man, most of his encounters with her were a means to an end. He hardly kissed her and was rough when touching her. She disliked the nights he craved her, feeling like he became a different man in the bedroom.

She spoke to him about it once, but he didn’t see her reasoning. He said he enjoyed their encounters, giving her a speech about what men needed. Most of the time she just took what he gave her, never bothering to get excited for the exchange.

Six or so months into the marriage he didn’t come home at his normal time. He didn’t call or let her know he would be out late. She had rushed home from a class that ran late to cook a full dinner for the two of them. He didn’t show until after dark.

He opened the door slowly, his back to the open kitchen. He seemed to be taking care to not make too much noise. He used his left hand to flip on the lights while he turned. Rosalie sat at the table, in the dark. The man jumped when the lights came on, not expecting her figure there.

“Jesus! You scared me!”

“I was just, I was waiting up for you. Where were you?”

“I…uh…I went out with some of the guys after work. We grabbed a few beers. Is that a problem?” He asked with a hint of attitude. She could tell he was not sober by his posture and speech.

“When I have dinner ready and worry that you might have died in a ditch it is. You could have given me a ring before leaving work.”

“It was a last-minute decision.” He said as he pushed himself past the table, going to the refrigerator to grab some of the leftovers. He stood with his back to her preparing his meal.

“You could have warned me. I was worried sick. I sat here like an idiot waiting to eat with dinner getting cold.”

“That’s not my fault, I am no child. I can go out with the guys when I want to. If you didn’t want to eat until the food was cold, then that’s your decision.” He laughed.

“It’s inconsiderate.”

“You sound like my mother.” He said with his back still turned, he laughed darkly.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” She asked angrily as she stood. He turned with a sandwich in his hand and took a bite. He waved his other hand in a gesture while he explained.

“Royce, you are always so inconsiderate. Royce you are always out too late. Jeez. If I wanted to hear that I would have never left home.” He said in a mock voice, a bite of sandwich in his cheek.

“It is not abnormal for a wife to care for her husband’s safety. You don’t have to mock my caring.”

“Don’t pretend its caring. Its controlling and uptight. You are an uptight bitch sometimes.” He said as he approached her. He reached out and touched her chin. “You know you would be a lot prettier if you smiled more.”

He laughed as he took another bite of his sandwich and walked past her to bed. She felt like a fool for caring. She could hardly sleep that night for her sadness. 


	3. I’d Rather Go Blind (1935)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Follow Bella and Rosalie through 1935

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: DV, Fetal Demise  
Thank you for the warm welcome back to FF. I was able to look over this chapter and I can’t see anything changing with it, so I am posting it. I’d Rather Go Blind is a great song by Etta James, check it out. As I mentioned somewhere in the first book, my chapters titles are song names. I also wanted to address a couple things:  
1\. Bella is 21. I am sure that I put a short bit about that in the first story (if not it is coming up in this story, opps). She still attends high school and college sometimes as a means of fitting in, but the age she was changed was 21.  
2\. This is a dark story. When I say it is a slow burn, I mean that. I plan for this to be a three-part series, and it is a romance, so it is not a peaceful journey. Their will be trigger warnings to many things. This is indeed a Rosella story though, so don’t get down because it takes a bit to get there. Hang in there folks.  
Again, I appreciate you all and hope you enjoy. I make no promises about chapter 4 getting put out in a timely manner. Thanks 😊  
-AP

###  [Chapter 3](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21474202/chapters/70775511): I’d Rather Go Blind (1935)

“Esme, I just can’t believe school is going so fast. I am officially accepted into the music studies curriculum next fall. All my general studies should be done. I have been keeping good pace.” The blonde said to the vampire as they visited in her living room.

Esme had become a sort of mentor and friend to the girl since Bella had left. They had reconnected after her honeymoon, gradually seeing each other more and more. They now had weekly visits. Esme would catch her up on the family and her own studies at college and Rosalie would catch her up on herself.

Sometimes she would ask her advice. It felt good to talk to a woman who cared for and knew the real her. Though Esme was not old enough to be her mother, she seemed to take her place a bit. Rosalie thought of her as a sort of aunt.

She asked about Bella occasionally, though she tried not to, as it seemed to make Esme uneasy. She had asked more in the beginning, but the woman could never offer her any news on account of her daughter’s privacy.

Usually, they met at Rosalie’s place. Rosalie would make tea for herself, she always wished she could offer her friend something. She hoped her company was enough for the vampire.

“So how are you and Royce?” Esme spoke after the conversation lulled.

“We are generally okay. We have our ups and downs, but I suppose every couple does.”

“You are so new in marriage, it should still be rainbows and glitter. At least that’s what I think.”

“Nothing in this world is rainbows and glitter, you should know that.” Rosalie said taking a sip of her tea. Esme furrowed her brows a little, worried for her friend. Before she could speak, they heard the door open. Royce came in with high intensity.

“Honey! I’m home!” He shouted with an eerie happiness. Rosalie looked to Esme with confusion listening to her husband in the entry way.

“Hello honey. How was your day?” She asked from the living room.

“Oh, just neat. Didn’t I ask you to mail these letters today? This place is filthy.” He said as his toned changed.

“Yes, but I have company so I thought I could tomorrow. It shouldn’t be filthy, I cleaned just two days ago?”

Royce appeared from the hall, he walked into the room passing a console table. As he walked, he stared at her, dragging his index finger along the table. When he reached the end, he lifted the finger and showed her.

“Does this look clean?” He said sternly.

“Royce, I will clean tomorrow. Surely, we can survive a night. I have a guest.” She said as she gestured to the woman beside her. Esme nodded a hello to the man.

“Hello Esme, always a pleasure.” He said as he kissed her hand with too much charm. “I was unaware that we currently had company.”

“Well I said that dear.”

“Hmm.” He said crossing his arms, he held the bottom of his chin in thought. “Could I see you in the kitchen?”

“Sure. Esme, will you please excuse me for a moment?” She said with her attention on the brunette.

“Of course.”

Once the door to the kitchen was closed his demeanor changed to be harsh and severe. He closed in the space between himself and her, trapping her against the door. He whispered sternly.

“You said you HAD company. You made me look like a fool.”

“I didn’t mean to…”

“I ask you to do two simple things. Two things.” He held up two fingers too close to her face for comfort. He was giving her almost no space to be comfortable. “Keep the house clean and mail some stupid letters for me.” He said as he crumbled the letters in his other hand and shoved them down on the table.

“I just thought…”

“Well, there is where you went wrong. I don’t work for you to think, I work so that you can have a good life. I work so that I can come home to a clean house, a warm dinner and a decent fuck.”

“Royce, I need to have this time with my friend. It keeps me from going batty.”

“Batty from what? You do not have the stress that I do! I bet you wouldn’t know the first thing about pressure.” He said as he poked his index finger into her shoulder.

“Please, I just want time for myself.”

“You don’t think I want that?” He said backing away from her, his arms raised. “I work my ass off and for what? I get passed up for promotion as a thanks.”

“You what?”

“I get passed up. All for nothing.” He said sniffing hard in anger.

“Royce, I’m so sorry. You must be so hurt.”

Before she could register what happened she felt her head jolt back. The burning and sound of a smack hit her after. Royce had slapped her across her jaw. She cradled her face with a whimper.

“Do not pity me. I am not weak.” He said with his face curled in anger, his finger pointed at her. He pushed his way past her to go upstairs.

“Within a half second Esme was there at the kitchen door. She rushed to the girl, placing a tentative cold hand on her jaw. Rosalie sucked in a painful breath in response.

“I’ll be right back.” The vampire said sternly in a low voice.

“No! No, I am okay. Don’t…don’t do anything, please.” The blonde said desperately.

“I can take you home with me.” She said placing her arm around her shoulder, beginning to push forward to walk. Rosalie held her stance.

“No. I’m fine. He is just upset.”

“Dear, that is not ok. I can take you home with me, we will figure this out.”

“I’m fine.” There was a pause between them. Esme toiled with what to say next.

“Dear, I need to tell you something.”

“What is it?” She said as Esme directed her to the kitchen table to sit.

“Although I love our visits, I didn’t come here to just visit. I have something to give you.”

“What is it?” Rosalie asked genuinely lost.

“Bella stopped by two weeks ago. She was on her way to a new place, but she gave me something to give to you next time I saw you.” She said as she pulled a key out of her pocket. She handed it to the girl.

Rosalie looked at the brass colored key with confusion. She had no idea what it could lead to. She was in shock after hearing her name brought up, as they had not spoken it to each other in months.

“What is it?”

“Well, It’s a house.” Esme winced as she corrected herself. “Condo, it’s a condo.”

“Wha…Why?”

“She had bought the place when you and her, ahm…” She cleared her throat. “She fixed it up for you two to live in. Since you never got the chance, I believe she wants you to have it. I have the deed; everything is taken care of. She has a lady that comes once a week to clean and keep up with it.”

“I can’t believe…why? She never mentioned this.”

“It was a surprise dear. I believe she wants you to make good use of it. She said it was a marriage gift and that she is sorry it was so late.”

“Could I speak to her? Is she still here?” Rosalie said standing up. Her emotions ran high.

“I’m afraid she has gone already.”

-X-

“You ‘ave nothing.” A large burly man with a Russian accent said to the brunette as he sat across a poker table from her.

“I suppose we will have to see.”

“I raise you twenty.” The man said as he threw chips into the center. The other two men at the table followed.

Bella thought for a moment. At least she made him think she did. She knew she had the winning hand. She knew their tells after the first two hands. Humans were so easy to read. She grabbed twenty dollars’ worth of chips and tossed them into the center.

The place was dimly lit and smoky. The only real light was the one over the table. They were in a warehouse after all. She joined the game after hearing about it in a bar in Moscow. The men she played with all wore USSR military uniforms. They were skeptical of her joining until she pulled out two stacks of cash, though they still did not take her seriously. To be fair, she was easing into her winnings, she couldn’t kill their egos that easily, not if she wanted the entertainment to last long. They drank Vodka and cracked their knuckles far too much. Their shows of masculinity were amusing to her.

She had started her winning streak; the burly man was down to his last few chips. She knew this win would hurt him. The man to his right would be completely out as he was all in. The man to her left was doing alright, but he had taken a small beating since she had started playing with intent.

The gentlemen took turns revealing their cards on the table. The last to go was Bella. She took a shot as she tossed hers down. The men observed her cards and let the win sink in. Bella reached forward and pulled the chips to her, winking at the burly man as she did so. He watched her with fury until she winked. At that he jumped out of his chair, leaning over the table he grabbed her collar.

“You ar’ a filthy cheat!”

“Now now, you don’t want to do that.” She said calmly.

“You do not deny it.”

“You have easy tells. This man to my right, his heart speeds up dramatically when he has a good hand. To my left, he begins to breathe deeply, I believe to calm down and seem normal. You, now you are the easiest of all. You sweat like a pig.” She smirked as the last few words dripped from her mouth.

“I do not want zis woman in the gam’ anymore.” He said angrily to the men at the table. A small group of spectators watched from behind the players. They all shook their heads in agreement. From the looks of the man’s uniform he was their captain.

“Is your ego injured, Cap?” She said with a laugh.

“Not as injured as your face iz going to be.” He said in a thick Russian accent.

He pulled her body up onto and over the table, her feet hit the chips, spreading them all over. He wound back his fist and released it upon her face. The room heard a crunch and then saw the man groan in pain after. He released her shirt, she landed somewhat gracefully on the ground, given that she had little control over her landing.

“I’m going to hurt you now; you might want to ask your men not to look.”

“You American bitch!” He said as he charged her.

Without a thought she quickly jabbed him in the nose. It was light to her, but it broke his nose with ease. He cradled his nose with his hand and groaned. Blood trickled in his fingers. It was time she stop breathing. “Kill zat bitch!”

The men in the room began to crowd her, trapping her in a circle. She cracked her neck and tightened her hands into fists. A series of men jumping on her back and hitting her side started. With each attack she hit back, she took many blows, but her stone body hardly felt anything. Most of the men hurt themselves more trying to hurt her.

She tossed a man across the room into two others that were getting back up. She broke a leg off the table and cracked it in half on a man’s cheek. She took a beer and flung it across the room, hitting a man square in the forehead, the bottle shattered on his skull.

She didn’t enjoy doing this with her human counterparts, but she also didn’t enjoy playing a victim. If men treated her this way, she showed them the error in their ways. When the last man fell, she grabbed the cash and left. She probably had enough fun for one night she thought. The room smelled like blood anyways. Despite her lack of selfcare, she still had a clean record when it came to feeding. She was not about to ruin the one good attribute she had.

She wasn’t sure why she chose to come to Russia that year. She had always kind of wanted to visit, but never had. She found that interesting, given that it was a great place for her kind. She found the hunting in the area to be fierce and tasteful.

She had a small home just outside the city in a small village. She learned Russian quickly, though her pronunciation wasn’t perfect. She found the village to be quiet, friendly and out of the spotlight. She bought the home from a young man who moved to the city. His family had owned the property for generations, it even came with a few acres of land. She didn’t change anything about the home and had offered him more money to let her keep the furniture. He gladly accepted.

She spent most of her days sitting in silence, reading and rereading the letter that Rosalie had given Esme. Esme had given it to her the first night she was home. She couldn’t bear to read it while she was home, she only read it when she was in the privacy of her new place. She had however visited the apartment she had made for them. The place was empty of love and attention, but fresh flowers were placed in the vase in the entry table per her instructions. The assistant she hired to clean and take care of the place was to put fresh flowers in the entry every week. Always a bouquet with sunflowers. Rosalie had always liked them.

She felt sad when she stepped in the home. All her fantasies like ghosts to her. Ghosts of a past she never had. She didn’t move past the foyer. That was the last time she wanted to step foot in the place.

When she returned that night to the Cullen’s she gave Esme the key with instructions to tell Rosalie. Esme pleaded that she do it in person. She pleaded that she see the girl. Bella couldn’t she was fragile and hurt. She left the next morning for Russia.

As she sat there in her new kitchen, she read her letter. She crumpled it the first time she read it, anger and resentment coursed through her dead body. She tossed the letter and went catatonic for days. When she came out of it, she went for a hunt and came back to straighten out the letters pages from the damage she had done. Now, she read it each day, multiple times, still unsure of its truth. What she could decide however, was that life was easier with alcohol in her body.

One day, late into the winter, she made it home through the snow. She had only gone out for more liquor and a good hunt. She would be ok to last for a few weeks with the load she had. She pulled up in her car to see an unfamiliar car in her drive.

She casually grabbed a box of vodka bottles from her trunk to bring it inside. When she opened the door, it was unlocked. She pushed it open, half expecting a fight on the other end of the door. In the entry she set down the box, grabbing a single bottle by the neck as a weapon.

“Bella.” A voice called out from her side. She reacted on instinct, throwing the bottle sharply in the direction of the voice. A hand firmly caught the bottle with ease in front of his own face. Carlisle smiled and set it down on the table.

“Good god, Carlisle.”

“Good to see you, too.”

“You had me expecting a fight. I told you this was for emergencies; I just saw you. Wait, is everything ok? Is everyone safe?” She said as her realization set in.

“Everyone is fine.” He said with a light laugh and a smile. “We saw each other eight months ago. That is a long time in most other’s books.”

“Forgive me.” She said as she opened the bottle on the table. She took it by the neck and gulped the clear liquor down. She sat in the open chair beside her. He watched from his standing position next to the table. He gave her a gentle smile, removed the clothes from the other chair and sat down.

“So, what brings you to my humble abode?” She asked sarcastically.

“I see you started the day early with that.” He said as he nudged his head towards the bottle.

“I start all my days early.”

“Bella, your mother and I are worried. Though you cannot technically kill yourself with that, you are letting it ruin your life.” Bella laughed darkly at the concern.

“This is not what ruined my life.”

“I understand. Well, I know that this doesn’t help. You are better than this.”

“When have I ever been better than this? My life, my turning, my afterlife…its all been one tragedy after another. I have never been better than this.” She said with another swig.

“I saved you because I saw something in you. You were not beyond repair then, and you are not now. You are so kind. You have so much to give. I beg you to see what we see.”

“Sometimes I wish you hadn’t found me.” She said with a somber voice as she stared at the table in front of her.

“I don’t wish that ever. You have been a joy to our family. You and I, Bella, you were my first true companion.”

“Yeah well, I’m sorry to disappoint now.”

“Please come back, you don’t have to stay in Rochester, but please stay closer. Get back in school. Make something of this life. You were given a second opportunity. Use it.”

“It’s just so damn hard.”

“It is. This is no way to live though.” He said looking around to the empty bottles that filled her place.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Good.” He patted her hand. “Now, I am starving. Care for another hunt?”


	4. Fallout (1936)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Follow some ups and downs through 1936. This is a heavy chapter, where our characters experience joy and pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tigger Warning: Domestic Violence, Fetal Demise
> 
> Hey guys,  
I keep telling you not to expect more chapters quickly, but here I am. As I have been going back through this story, I have been thinking that it must seem very very bleak at this point. It is because I know the direction it is going that I can say…hold on. Or don’t if it’s too much. I appreciate all your kind words. The chapter title is a song by Mariana’s Trench, and it hits you big if you have ever been in the situation it is written about. I encourage you to give it a listen. If rock isn’t your thing, there is an acoustic version too. Alrighty, as I keep stressing, please don’t expect me to come out with a new chapter soon. It could be tomorrow, next week or in a year. Yes, it is very frustrating, but so is my life right now haha. I appreciate you all and hope you find this story worth it.  
-AP

###  [Chapter 4](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21474202/chapters/70775511): Fallout (1936)

The cool fall air brushed along Bella’s skin as she walked home from class. She absolutely adored fall in England. She never remembered how nice it could feel. She did live in a much nicer area than before though.

She was a month into her first semester at Oxford. She was accepted into an intensive program in the medical school. She had the advantage of having studied high school biology for years and living with a doctor for decades. Classes seemed to come easy to her. She contemplated taking up more units the next semester as her full load seemed light.

Although she was still sad, she had almost quite drinking. She had started taking better care of herself and even took in a cat. She found some comfort in the little four-legged creature. It seemed to take to her, something most animals didn’t do. It had a scar over its left eye, a battle scar Bella would call it.

She tidied up her two-bedroom flat when she got home and laid out a can of tuna for her little friend. She put her schoolbooks in the second bedroom, a space she had converted to an office. Just as she was satisfied with her place, she heard a knock at the door. Her parents and brother were there. She hugged each of them.

“Guys! I am so happy to see you.” She said lightly. She seemed better, but still did not have light behind her eyes. Carlisle was pleased that it was progress.

“Good to see you.” He said warmly with a hug.

“Oh, it’s so nice to be able to hug you.” Esme said when she got hers.

“Hey brat.” Edward said with a crooked smile.

“Ass.” She said with a jab to his shoulder.

“So, this is the place. Much cleaner than the last, huh?” Carlisle said as he admired her home.

“I hope so.” She said as the jingle of her cat’s collar came closer.

“You have a cat?” Esme asked incredulously. She knelt to the stripped gray cat as he rubbed his side against her leg.

“I know it’s not conventional.”

“He is so friendly!” She exclaimed.

“I know, it’s weird. I think he might be defective. I have told him many times that I could eat him and that he is crazy. I don’t think he believes me.”

“He is cute, how do you stand it though?” Edward asked as if in pain.

“You get used to it; I hardly feel the burning anymore. I also hunt more regularly than I was.” She explained.

“Hm.” He said eyeing the cat in disgust. The cat approached him but raised his hackles in agitation when he reached his hand out.

“Maybe he isn’t defective after all.” She teased.

The family planned to stay for the weekend. They also planned to see each other over Bella’s winter break. She would come back to the states then. All members seemed to be happy about the increased visits.

She showed them around campus, though Carlisle had known it well as he had studied there for one of his bachelor’s years before. Esme was impressed with the change in her daughter. She engaged and hung on each of her words, thankful for her mental state being in repair.

Esme took her daughter for a walk early in the morning hours before any of the students or people of the city were up. It was barely light outside when they began. She wanted to have alone time with Bella.

“So, how are things? Truly?” Bella thought for a moment on how to answer the question.

“Things are tough. I am empty but at least I am distracted by something good. Every once in a while, I forget to think about her.”

“That is an interesting way to put it.”

“It’s true though. She is always on my mind. The moments I spend distracted from the thought of her are rare, almost like a slip of the mind. I try to stay focused on school. I am taking more classes starting next semester. I should graduate early. They are even going to allow me to take courses over the summer. I should be done after next year.”

“Good, I’m glad to hear we might have you closer sooner rather than later. I’m sorry to hear that about her.”

They walked in silence for a while. The leaves blew around them, the path was lined with great trees of red and brown. The cool morning mist coated the air.

“I have something I need to tell you.” Esme said finally. “It’s about her. She is, well…”

“Well?” Bella cut her off impatiently at the mention of her.

“She is pregnant.” The words lingered in the air, tangible in a way. Bella took in a deep breathe, a habit she formed to appear human in stressful situations.

“That’s what she wanted. I should be happy for her.” She said coldly.

“I thought you should know.”

“Thank you.”

-X-

Her usual morning routine began off kilter as she ran to the bathroom. On her knees she relieved all of last night’s dinner into the toilet. Just when she thought she had no more to give, her stomach found more. She fell back to the side of the toilet on her rump and flushed the stuff in an exhausted state. She wondered what could have gone wrong with her dinner to make her purge like she had. Royce had survived thus far.

She pulled herself up and washed her face. She took in her image as she panted. She had really done herself in. She thought she would need to switch butchers; she sighed and began putting her makeup on.

Breakfast was served as usual, though Royce hadn’t taken too much time to eat, he all but stuffed down his meal and chugged his coffee. He was off for a busy day, just like that. Rosalie was off for her own busy day; she was starting her first semester in the music curriculum.

She rode her bike to school, as she did normally. She didn’t quite make it smoothly though, as her own breakfast came back to haunt her. She let her bike fall as she jumped off and crouched in the bushes. She purged her breakfast as she did her dinner the night before. She wondered if she had a stomach bug.

During class she had to leave twice for the same reason. She thought the class would think her a freak. She smiled with red cheeks as she came back in for the second time. She wasn’t sure of the last time she had been so embarrassed.

Her next week continued in a similar manner. Finally, she felt it necessary to see a doctor, she thought she might have something wrong with her. She decided to skip class on the next Monday and call Esme.

“Hello?”

“Hey Esme. Are you around today?”

“Of course. Is everything alright?”

“I’m not sure. Is Carlisle around?”

“He is due at the hospital at noon, but he is here now. Would you like us to come over?”

“I can make it over to you. It would be nice to visit anyways.”

She rode her bike over to the Cullen’s. It was a ride she had done so many times before. It felt so familiar, but she had not made the trip in years. Esme always met her at her place. She half expected Bella to meet her outside from all the nostalgia. Her chest ached at the thought.

Esme welcomed her into their home. So much had changed about its décor. Esme was a busy body though, always starting new projects. She wasn’t surprised by the change.

“What is going on dear? Can I get you some water?”

“That would actually be nice. I threw up on my way over.”

“Carlisle?” Esme asked in a volume hardly raised from her previous exchange. She made her way to the kitchen.

“Rosalie. How pleasant to see you.” He said as he came around the corner from his office.

“I wish it were under better circumstances.” Esme was back from the kitchen in an instant with a glass of water.

“Thank you.” Esme nodded in response. She placed her hands on the girl’s shoulders and guided her to the couch.

“Please sit.”

“What is going on, Rosalie?” The blonde man asked with concern.

“I have been sick for a week, now I started puking this morning. I am starting to worry I may have something serious.”

“What are your symptoms?” He asked as he reached for her forehead. He felt her temperature.

“I have been puking. I am bloated and have felt lightheaded all weak. I feel tired and weak. I am hungry but I do not want food because I just puke it up.”

“Well, your heart rate is slightly elevated, but healthy still. You feel fine. Mind if I have a listen at your stomach?”

“Go right ahead.” She said as she slouched backwards. He leaned forward, almost close enough to be touching his cheek to her abdomen.

“Hm.” He said as he listened.

“Am I okay? Am I sick?” She asked with anxiety.

“Well, I am sorry to say that your sickness will not resolve for a little while longer.”

“What is it?” She asked a little panicked. Carlisle gave a look to Esme, he smirked, and she responded with a knowing smile.

“It appears as though you are pregnant. I hear a second heartbeat within you and your symptoms are probably morning sickness.” He said with a smile.

“Are you…Are you sure?”

“I am positive. Congratulations Rosalie.” He said with a pat to her knee.

“Oh, my lord.” She said as she sprang up to hug Esme and Carlisle in one bundle. The two reciprocated.

“Good news to share with Royce tonight.” He said as they broke the exchange.

“He is going to, well, I don’t even know what he is going to do. I am so excited!”

After Carlisle left for work, the two visited for a while. She stopped by the store to grab food to cook, pulling out all the stops. She made Royce his favorite dinner. Swiss steak, mashed potatoes and cooked carrots. She knew he would be in a good mood after that. She even made a cherry pie for dessert.

When he got home, he was in a better mood than usual. The dinner only supplemented his attitude. He was pleased to have a full belly and a happy wife. She pulled out the pie from the oven and sliced it up to give him a piece.

“Royce, I’d like to talk to you about something I found out today.” She said as she sat the plate down in front of him.

“Mhm?” He said taking a bite.

“As you are aware, I have not been feeling well lately…”

“This is some good pie, Rose.” He interrupted.

“Glad you like it. Anyways, I went and saw a doctor today. It turns out. Well, it turns out that we are going to have a baby.” She said nervously.

He stopped a fork full of pie mid-way to his mouth. His eyes flashed up to her as he took in what she had told him. He dropped his fork suddenly. He chewed the remainder of his last bite before clearing his throat to speak.

“You are telling me that we are with child?” He pointed lazily to her with his elbow propped up on the table.

“Yes, that’s what I’m saying.”

He stood up suddenly. His chair fell behind him as he did so. He rushed to her side, she flinched back slightly from his quick movement, but he didn’t seem to notice. He took her head in his hands and kissed her firmly. He touched her stomach after, admiring their creation within her.

“I’m going to be a father.” He said in shock.

“Yes, you are.”

The excitement lasted for the first two months or so. Royce King treated her like a queen. Though she still cooked, he would sometimes help with dishes. He was nicer to her and more affectionate. He didn’t hit her or rise to anger as easily. He seemed to be home earlier.

One day in October she received a gift. Her doorbell rang, when she answered no one was there, but a brand-new stroller with a large blue bow was on her stoop. It had a card.

_Dear Rose,_

_I hope your life brings you joy. Congratulations. _

It was not signed, but it was the exact stroller she had her eye on at the department store. She wondered who her good Samaritan was. In the back of her mind, she felt she knew.

After a couple months Rosalie began to show. She started to feel self-conscious over the gained stomach, though it was only natural. Royce helped less with the dishes, and he began to miss dinner sometimes. He grew less affectionate the larger that she got.

By winter he grew cold. His anger and temper had returned, and his drinking seemed to get worse. Rosalie remained happy about the gift she had inside her, though she felt more alone the further along she got.

One December night, shortly after Christmas, Royce came home late. His friend had a late Christmas party, but Rosalie was not invited. Rather, she was not told of the occasion. She had made dinner as she did always, once again it had grown cold. She did not wait up for him this time, she had grown used to his random outings and decided to go to bed.

When he came home, he smelled of perfume and brandy. Rosalie questioned where he had been. The argument escalated until he took a swing at her. He must have been saving up his strength all those months because this hit was hard. It was so hard that she fell to the ground. She landed on her front side.

She immediately felt as if something was wrong. Though the hit had somewhat stunned her, her mind quickly went to her child. He was so angry, and she was in pain. He kicked her in anger. The lights went out to her.

When she awoke, he was rushing her to the hospital. She wearily looked down to her hand in her lap, blood. Blood was between her legs and her head was throbbing. He told the staff she fell down the stairs. Though the nurse was suspicious, she only had his word since Rosalie refused to speak on the matter.

She had lost the baby.

-X-

“Yes?” Carlisle questioned as he answered the phone. His colleague at the hospital had called.

“Okay, I see. I’ll be right there.” He said as he hung up.

“What is it now, dear?” Esme asked as she looked up from her book on the couch.

“It’s Rosalie, she has been rushed to the hospital. They believe it is the baby.”

“What did you say?” Bella said suddenly as she flew down the stairs.

Bella had come home as planned for her winter break. She had not seen or spoke of Rosalie, but the mention of her name instinctually brought her to a state of alarm. Carlisle sighed as he looked to Bella, he knew it was a tricky situation.

“She is in the hospital. I have no details, but I will go and make sure she is taken care of. I promise.” He said as he got up from the edge of the couch.

Bella thought for a moment, unsure of what to say or how to feel. She eventually nodded in response.

“If he is involved, if he had any part of this…I will kill him.” She said as she went to leave out the front door.

“Bella, where are you going?” Esme asked as Bella swung open the door.

“Relax, Esme, I’m just going for a hunt. I can’t sit idly by; I need a distraction.” She slammed the door behind her. Carlisle sighed, turned to his wife, and shrugged. He quickly left for the hospital.

-X-

After all had been tested and confirmed, Rosalie was set to stay in the Intensive Care Unit for a day to be monitored. She had been given some sedatives and pain medication for the traumatic event she had just been through. She was hardly coherent, hardly conscious. Blurred movements and conversations happened around her. She could only make out bits and pieces.

It must have been nighttime because the unit was quiet. No one seemed to be up and moving, only the sounds of a quiet conversation between nurses could be occasionally heard. She was in and out, mostly giving into the drugs that begged her to sleep.

She felt a cool breeze across her face, a gentle cool touch on her hand. The cold was welcomed, the drugs and blankets made her so hot. She sleepily blinked her eyes, trying to unblur her vision. A shadowed figure stood beside her bed. It was familiar in shape, and her perfume recognizable. She was sure of it, it was Bella.

“Bella?” She could barely get the words out.

No one answered.

“Bella, is that you?” She said raising slightly. A hand gently pushed her shoulder back down.

“Lay down.”

It was her; she was sure. Her heart sped up. She needed to tell her how sorry she was. This was her chance. Her mind was so foggy though. Damn drugs.

“I need to tell you…” She spoke.

“You need to rest. I…I don’t know what I’m doing here. I just needed to know.”

“I want to tell you. Please, you need to know that…”

“Don’t. Rest. I’m sorry that I came, I just needed to know you were okay.”

The hand left her shoulder and emptiness ached within he blonde. She tried to raise her hand, but the drugs made it so hard.

“Please, don’t…”

“I can’t, I’m sorry…” With that her presence was gone. Rosalie struggled but sat up. She called out for her. She called as loud as she could, her voice was rough and strained. A nurse rushed in to settle her.

“Sweetie, lay down.”

“No, no, no…Bella…” She cried softly as the nurse drew up a clear medication from its glass bottle. She pushed the plunger of the syringe to clear the air bubbles, a small stream of medicine escaped the needle.

“Shhh…” The nurse said as she pushed the needle into the blonde’s arm. It wasn’t more than seconds until the blonde had given up the fight and given into the sleep.


End file.
